5th Green Literature Festival
29th November 2025 @Century Club, Cubbon Park, Bengaluru
Agenda
Panels, Fireside Chats, Book Launches, GLF Honour Book Awards – 10.00 am to 7.00 pm
9.30 am onwards
Registration and Networking
10:00 am to 10:15 am
Inaugural and Welcome
Benedict Paramanand, Author, Founder, Green Literature Festival, Editor, SustainabilityNext, Co-founder, BizLitFest
10:15 am to 10:45 am
Reflections from My Travels to Leh and Ladakh
Sujatha Padmanabhan, Author, Member, Kalpavriksh
Ladakh, a land of high passes, stunning landscapes, and heartwarming people, has a magic that’s hard to resist! Drawn by its raw beauty, unique wildlife, and the kindness of its people, Sujatha Padmanabhan found herself returning again and again to this cold desert paradise. Through years of working with various organisations on education-related projects, she explored Ladakh up close, its valleys, villages, and vibrant culture.
Out of these journeys were born five delightful children’s storybooks, each inspired by the land and its people.
Join Sujatha Padmanabhan as she takes you behind the scenes, sharing the stories, inspirations, and adventures that shaped her books.
10:45 am to 11:30 am
In the Front Line: Stories From the Field
Arathi Menon, Senior Writer and Editor, Mongabay India
Priti David, Executive Editor, People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI)
Host – Chintan Girish Modi, Literary Critic and Journalist
What does it take to shed light on the stories from the margins? How does a reporter go beyond mainstream preferences? What does the field teach an environmental reporter? Join renowned journalist and editor Priti David and senior writer Arathi Menon as they talk about their experiences and adventures from the field with journalist and literary critic Chintan Girish Modi.
11:30 am to 11:45 am
Tea Break
11:45 am to 12:30 pm
Island on Edge: Pushing Nicobar Knowingly Into Disaster
Pankaj Sekhsaria, Author, Academic
Sharachchandra Lele, Distinguished Fellow, Forests, Governance and Livelihoods
The launch of Island on Edge – The Great Nicobar Crisis, followed by a presentation by Pankaj Sekhsaria based on his two recently edited books
A massive Rs. 920000 crore (and growing) has been aggressively pushed by the government in the ecologically fragile and tectonically volatile island of Great Nicobar Island, which is also the home of two indigenous communities. This presentation is an account of the various concerns with the project related to ecological destruction, violation of tribal rights, safety concerns and economic (non) viability.
12:30 pm to 1:00 pm
How AI Will Drive Impactful Environmental Education
Swaroop Madavan, Founder, Parentof
Host – Amlan Shome, Team GLF, Sustainability Professional
Can AI make complex environmental topics more accessible? Can real-time data and tools like VR help inculcate interest in the climate discourse? Can the learning experience be personalised? This presentation by Swaroop Madhavan aims to connect the dots.
1:00 pm to 1:40 pm
Lunch
1:40 pm to 2:00 pm
Pack that Perished – Nature Film Screening and Quiz by ATREE
Abi Tamim Vanak, Sr. Fellow and Director, Centre for Policy Design
Anuja Malhotra, Policy Manager, Centre for Policy Design, ATREE
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Cartoons and Conservation Communication
Rohan Chakravarty, Cartoonist, Artist, Author, The Green Humour Series
The cartoon has always been the most ‘sharable commodity’ in a publication- summarising the mood of the nation on any given day. But can it go beyond a satirical slap, a chuckle and a ‘share’? Find out how cartoons can be used as a handshake between ecology, conservation and the lay reader, influencing public opinion as well as policy.
2:30 pm to 3:00 pm
How Youth Can Influence The Climate Story
Ishan Shanavas, Author, The Light of Wilder Things: A Teenager’s Search for Nature and Wildlife
Karishma Pejathaya, Student at National Law School of India University
How do the youth of today, the Gen Z generation, perceive climate change? Do they seek to be drivers of climate action? Join young author, artist, photographer and nature enthusiast Ishan Shanavas as he speaks for the youth of India.
3:00 pm to 3:45 pm
Fiction That Sparks Climate Conversations
Gigi Ganguly, Author, Biopeculiar: Stories of an Uncertain World and One Arm Shorter Than the Other
Sonali Prasad, Journalist and Author, Glass Bottom
Host – Joya John, Assistant Professor of Literature, Krea University
What is the role of fiction in the environmental discourse? Can stories, the oldest craft of human civilisations, inspire reflection and action? Academic Joya John, in conversation with debut authors Gigi Ganguly and Sonali Prasad, will discuss the journey and future of environmental stories.
3:45 pm to 4:30 pm
Re-Imagining Greener Bengaluru
Roopa Pai, Author, Becoming Bangalore – Stories That Shaped A Home Town
Deepa Padmanaban, Author, Invisible Housemates and Science Journalist
Host – Ramya Coushik, Writer, Naturalist and Founder, Green Goobe’ Zero Waste Living
Restoring urban landscapes requires a multi-faceted approach. Does it start with waste management or reviving native species? What is the role of a citizen? How can governing bodies pitch in? Renowned author Roopa Pai and author and science journalist Deepa Padmanaban will be in conversation with writer, naturalist and sustainability entrepreneur Ramya Coushik, sharing their ideas for a renewed Garden City.
Children’s Green Literature Festival
Host – Reena Pereira
Session 1 (Ages 8 to 11) 11 am to 1 pm
11 am to 11.30 am
Whispers Of The Mangroves
Radhika Suri, Author and Educator
Step into the world of mangroves!
Where warm sand meets salty waves — discover a world full of mystery and life. Join us for a splash of riddles, movement, and a pledge to care for this living wonder.
11.30 am to 12 pm
Gattu – Walking With the Herd
An Animation Film about a day in the life of a pastoral boy, by ATREE
Jaya Peter, Film Maker, Head of Communications, ATREE
Gattu is a pastoralist boy of the Dhangar community in Maharashtra. His family lives in the grasslands of Deccan, and his community shares a unique bond with the land. What happens when their precious land faces a threat? This short movie shows why each non-forest ecosystem is as precious as the forests.
12 pm to 12.30 pm
Airaa Academy presents – THE PAPER THIEVES
a collaboration between Jenny Pinto, Author, The Magical Everything and Founder, Oorja Design and Mayura Baweja, Norman Leslie Doss V and Levin Sam Solomon of TheatreSHIft.
To register for this particular session – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDX1wg2Kw_zAeXCPuMjDNhY3AILjgnmxA6xKT0HITwkkvaXA/viewform?usp=dialog
Join us in a one-of-a-kind performance workshop. An engaging and adventurous workshop in which children learn about ecology with pretend play. There is a treasure and a pair of curious thieves on the lookout for it.
Guided by a mysterious treasure map, young participants decode clues, solve puzzles, and follow a trail of discovery. With shadow puppetry, theatre games, and hand paper-making, the experience invites children aged 8 to 12 to create, discover, and learn along the way. The capacity is limited to 20. Prior registration required.
Session 2 (Ages 12+) 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
2:30 pm to 3 pm
Trees of Bengaluru – Discussion and Quiz
Roopa Pai, Author, Let’s Talk About Trees
How many trees from your neighbourhood can you name? Do you know some species travelled across oceans to be here and each of them carries their own story? Join celebrated author Roopa Pai as she talks about the trees in the city, followed by a fun quiz.
3 pm to 4 pm
Environmental Comics from Scratch
Rohan Chakravarty, Cartoonist, Artist, Author, The Green Humour Series
Join India’s most loved illustrator as he decodes environmental comics and presents what goes into the making of a good cartoon that finds its audience.
4 pm to 4.30 pm
Introduction to Nature Journaling
Shruti Jha, Nature Educator, Founder, Green Panther
As cities grow, kids risk losing touch with the natural world-and the care that comes with knowing it. Recreate the natural world on your paper and observe its intricacies with Shruti Jha who designs playful ways for kids and families to rediscover the wild within city spaces.
GLF Short Story Competition
Host – Ishan Shanavas, Jury
GLF Grand Evening
4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
4:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Poetry Beneath the Trees: An Inaugural GLF Poetry Open House
Curated by Priyanka Sacheti, Writer, Poet and Nature Photographer
Shiruti J, Team GLF
Marking its 5th year, the Green Literature Festival grows a new branch- Green Poetry, where the language of art meets the voice of nature. Green Poets Shiruti and Priyanka Sacheti aim to explore how verse can inspire ecological awareness, bringing poets, audiences, and the wilderness together in an intimate, open-air setting.
5 pm onwards
Rapid Book Launches
Host – Shiruti J, Team GLF
5 pm onwards
Big Book Launch
Fruitful Insights: Heritage, Ecology, and Promise of India’s Fruit Trees by ATREE
GLF Honour Book Awards 2025
Categories – Children, Adult Fiction/Non-fiction, Green Business
Chief Guest – Nagaraja Prakasam, Author, Back to Bharat: In Search of a Sustainable Future, Mentor, IIMB NSRCEL
Jury Insights
Acceptance Speech by Winners
Host – Monisha Raman, Author, Team GLF
Climate Education Workshops for Teachers
11 am to 1 pm
Host – Amlan Shome
11 am to 12 pm
How Teachers Can Use AI Smartly in the Classroom
Swaroop Madavan, Founder, Parentof
12 pm to 1 pm
Climate Action Through Games
Jenny Pinto, Educator, Founder, Oorja Design
Simple, engaging games to introduce complex issues like climate change and ecology in the classroom. An interesting workshop for middle school teachers.
Facilitators
Jenny Pinto, is a handpaper maker, sustainable lighting designer and author who also teaches ecology in schools and colleges
Kunali Sanghvi, is a doctoral researcher in education focused on climate education
Green Business Literature Festival
2 pm to 4.45 pm
Host – Lakshmi R Nair
2 pm to 2.45 pm
How New Materials Will Shape India’s Green Transition
Babu Padmanabhan, Founder and MD, STEER World
Gayatri Chauhan, Founder and CEO, BuzzOnEarth + Presentations by Startups
Vishal Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO, unWOOD
Santosh Nagasamy, Co-Founder, Phitons
Prakash Hadimani, General Manager (Advanced Applications) STEER World
2.45 pm to 3.15 pm
AI and Future of Sustainability
Madanmohan Rao, Research Director, YourStory, Co-founder, MXR.world
Kundan Das, Head Sales & BD, Renewable & Nuclear Energy Transition, Common European Energy Data Space (CEEDS)
3.15 pm to 3.30 pm
Green Financing in India
Sunanda Sharma, Head of Sustainability, AU Small Finance Bank
3.30 pm to 4 pm
Shaping Consumer Consciousness
Sahar Mansoor, Author, Founder and CEO, Bare Necessities
Ramya Coushik, Writer, Naturalist and Founder, Green Goobe’ Zero Waste Living
Host – Manvel Alur, Startup Mentor, Educator, Consultant Climate Adaptation
4 pm to 4.45 pm
Sustainability Thinking and the Future of Careers
Santhosh Jayaram, Sustainability Thought Leader, Advisor, Green Literature Festival
Rajeev Peshawaria, Author, Sustainable Sustainability: Why ESG is Not Enough, CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre (SAC), Singapore
Benedict Paramanand, Author, Founder, Green Literature Festival, Editor, SustainabilityNext, Co-founder, BizLitFest
Today, all professionals, graduate students and entrepreneurs should have a deeper understanding of Sustainability. Companies across finance, tech, manufacturing, retail, and consulting now expect employees and suppliers to understand Climate risks, Resource efficiency, ESG expectations, Regulations and disclosures. Sustainability thinking is as, if not more important than, design or digital thinking.
India’s two preeminent business and sustainability leaders and authors share their insights.